Seau’s childhood friend Frank Zimmerman, the varsity boys’ soccer coach at Oceanside High School, where Seau was a standout football star, believes Seau was a community treasure that is irreplaceable.

“Junior was able to connect deeply with people, and that’s a gift that few have,” Zimmerman said. “That’s gone. I’m sure the foundation could continue, but its ability to raise money is not the same.”

At the time of Seau’s death, the foundation had amassed an endowment of more than $1 million, a personal goal of Seau’s to perpetuate his charitable giving in San Diego well after his retirement from the NFL. However, there are no longer any full-time employees. Its largest fundraiser, the Junior Seau Celebrity Golf Classic, and its highly successful Scholars of Excellence program, have been suspended for this year, and that may be permanent. There will be no more of his Thanksgiving dinners at Seau’s.

Although the board of trustees want to continue Seau’s favorite program, Shop with a Jock, held in December, they are still trying to determine the foundation’s future.

“The board continues to have discussions about the future of the foundation and the goal is to have an impact on the youth of San Diego,” said Dale Yahnke, the foundation’s treasurer. “Junior was the face of the foundation. Without him, it will be very difficult for the foundation to function in the manner that it did.”

Seau’s four children understand that the foundation was dear to his heart, but they, too, are wrestling with its future.

“My siblings and I feel it is still important to keep the foundation open, to carry on his charitable legacy and to do what he felt was right,” said Sydney Seau, 19, a freshman at USC, Junior’s alma mater. “But I’m not an adult. I need to get my education. If there’s some way to keep it going, to run it properly and professionally, we’re all for it.”

In the meantime, the foundation continues to accept donations. Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk, the new host of the 15th Celebrity Championship golf tournament at La Costa Resort and Spa, May 17-19, has taken the reins from quarterbacks Stan Humphries and Drew Brees. Faulk has selected the Faulk and Seau foundations as the event’s charitable beneficiaries.

Last December, in memory of his friend and former Chargers teammate, Brees honored a commitment to support two charities that were special to Seau: He donated $55,000 from the Brees Dream Foundation to the Miracle League of San Diego and to the Oceanside High School Athletic Department.

The Miracle League will use the donation to upgrade the fields and support operations while Oceanside High will use the money to improve the athletic training room, the weight room and the conditioning facility.

“The easiest thing is to give money, but there’s no connection,” said Larry Perondi, the superintendent of the Oceanside Unified School District. “People give and what we really want is their time and their connection. Junior was all about making an intense, lasting connection. His message was, ‘I’m from Oceanside. I’m an Oceanside kid. If you work hard, you can do it, too.’”